Nut-lock.



Np. 880,930: PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908. C. STILLWELL. NUT LOCK APPLICATIONFILED NOV.27. 1907. I

Anon/Veys CLAUDE B. STILLWELL, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed November 27, 1907. Serial No. 404,014.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE B. STILLWELL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State ofFlorida, have invented a new and Improved Nut-Lock, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to nut locks which are used for preventing theaccidental displacement of nuts from their bolts.

The invention is capable of use in many connections, but is especiallyadapted for use at rail joints for preventing the disconnection of thenuts on the bolts which fasten the fish plates in position.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail connection illustrating theinvention as applied in practice; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken onthe line 22 of Fig. 1, and upon an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectionon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, but upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is adetail view, being a side elevation of a lock ring which constitutes afeature of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1, 1 represent the abuttingends of two railway rails. At the joint oppositely disposed fish plates2 are provided, which are attached to the web 8 of the rail by means ofthrough bolts 4. The projecting ends of these bolts are provided withnuts 5 of the usual construction. In applying my invention, I provide amain plate 6 which is formed of sheet steel or similar material. Thisplate is of elongated rectangular form, as shown, and is provided withopenings 7 which enable it to be applied on the outer face of the fishplate before the nuts 5 are screwed into position.

At suitable points on itsl upper edge, the plate 6 is provided withnotches or recesses 8, and to the left of each of these notches thematerial of the plate is o'set forwardly so as to form an offset tongue9. This tongue is cut off so that its end is not ilush with the upperedge of the plate. In this way a small notch 10 is formed at the end ofthe tongue,

and under the tongue 9 a recess 11 is formed as indicated in Fig. 4.Opposite the tongues 9 and on the lower edge of the plate, outwardlyoffset tongues 12 are pressed from the body of the plate in such a waythat pockets 13 are formed under the plate, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thetongues 9 and 12 are disposed to the right of the bolts, as indicated inFig. 1. On the opposite sides of the bolts, that is, on the leftthereof, the body of the plate is punched so as to form openings 14, thelower edges of the said openings being formed by horizontal transversebars 15 which are left in place and which are oset outwardly, asindicated most clearly in Fig. 3. These bars 15 are serrated or formedwith notches 16 in their upper edges. After the nuts 5 have been screwedup, I place over each of them a locking ring 17, the construe tion ofwhich is very clearly shown in Fig. 5. This ring has a substantiallyannular body and presents an opening 18, the edge of which is providedwith a plurality of notches 19 arranged an equal distance apart. Thearrangement of these notches is such'as to enable the locking plate toengage the corners of a hexagonal or square nut or similar nut indifferent positions.

At a suitable point on the edge of the locking rino, it is provided witha plurality of upwardtly and outwardly projecting fingers 20 which aredisposed a slight distance apart as shown. I/Vhen the locking rings area plied to the nuts, these fingers 20 should e disposed on the left andabove the horizontal line connecting the axes of the bolts, as indicatedin Fig. 1. After the locking rings have been applied as described, theyare locked in position each by means of a locking bar 21. The generalform 0f these locking bars is illustrated in Fig. 1. Each locking barcomprises a vertical extension 22, the lower end of which is bentupwardly so as to form a toe or hook 23 which is adapted to be receivedin the pocket 13, as indicated in Fig. 4. The upper end of the verticaleX- tension 22 is doubled and bent over so as to form a similar hook ortoe 24 which is adapted to be received under the corresponding tongue 9.From the toe 24 an inclined eX- tension 25 extends across the face ofthe locking ring above the'nut, and this extension 25 is formed with aslight bend 26 which is adapted to be forced under one of the projectingfingers 20.

In order to enable the fingers to hold the locking bar in position, theunder edges of the ngers are preferably curved or recessed, as indicatedat 27 in Fig. 2. Beyond the bend 26 the inclined extension 21 extendsslightly upwardly, and is formed intoV an en'd hook 2S which is adaptedto be hooked over one of the bars 15, engaging the teeth 16 asillustrated. In order to apply the locking bars as described the hooks23 should be placed in position first. The noches 8 then permit theupper hooks 24 to be'brought into alinement with the tongues 9 and atthe right-hand edges thereof. After being brought into this position,the bars are rotated toward the left on the hooks 23 as a pivot'. Inthis way the hooks 24 seat themselves under the tongues and in thenotches which are'formed respectively at the ends of the tongues. Theinclined extensions of the bars are then forced into position asdescribed. The vfact that the locking ring is formed with a plurality ofnotches, enables it tov be a plied in a number of different positions. nthis way the locking rings may be applied so a's to bring some one ofthe iingers 20 into 4a suitable position to facilitate the applicationof the inclined extension 25 un'der 1t as described.

j On lthe upper edge of the main plate 5, forwardly projecting flangesor lips 29 are formed, which extend outwardly beyond the bars l5, andact as a rotection for the bars from a wrench when t e wrench is beingapplied to the nuts. When the main plate 6 is made double, asillustrated in Fig. 1, so that it can be applied to two boltssimultan'eously, it, of course, is in fixed position. Where it isdesired to apply the device to a single bolt, the main plate should bemade large enough so that its edge engages the flange of the rail or thehead thereof, as will be readily understood, so as to prevent itsrotation.

The arrangement described is that which is ado ted where the thread is aright-hand threa for instance, because the tendency of the nut would beto rotate in an anticlockwise direction. The tendency of rotation ofthelocking ring would then be anticlockwise, so that the finger 20 whichengages the upper side of the locking bar tends to move downwardly. Thisdownward move ment is, of course, resisted by the locking bar. Byreversing the position of the openings, the device is ada ted for boltswith left-hand threads, as wel as right.

The locking bar 21 is preferably formed of resilient wire so that whenbeing applied to secure the locking plate, the extension 25 may bereadily sprung to one side so as-to bring it into the proper engagementwith the locking ring and the bar 15 of the main plate.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a nut lock, in combination, a bolt, a nut mounted thereupon, amain plate upon which said nut seats and having an opening receivingsaid bolt, a locking ring engaging said nut and adapted to prevent therotation thereof, said locking ring having an outwardly projectingfinger formedl thereupon, anda locking bar adapted to be attached tosaid main plate after the said nut is seated, and having an extensionengagingl said main plateat two points, said extension engaging saidfinger at a point between sai/dfirst points, and affording means forlocking said ring against rotation.

2. In a nut lock, in combination, a bolt, a nut mounted thereupon, a'main plate having an opening through which said bolt passes and' uponwhichsaid nut seats, a" locking ring having anl opening with a pluralityof notches therein adapted to engage said nut in a plurality ofpositions", a' locking ring having a plurality of fingers' projectingoutwardly on the edge thereof, a locking bar adapted to be applied afterthe'nut is seated, means for'mounting the same uponsaid'plate, said mainplate further having engaging means adapted to'receive'said locking barto hold the same in place, said locking bar having an extension passingacross the face of said locking ring and engaging said fingers and saidengaging means.

3. In a nut lock, in combination, a bolt, a nut mounted thereupon, amain plate having an openingv receivingV said bolt upon which said nutseats, a locking ring adapted to lengage said nut in a plurality ofpositions, a locking bar having hooks engaging the opposite edges ofsaid' plate and removably secured thereto, said locking bar having anextension engaging said locking ring to prevent the rotation thereof,and means formed on said plate forfengaging said extension.

1. In a nut lock, in combination, a bolt, a nut mounted thereupon, amain plate under said nut, said main plate being offset outwardly so asto form pockets at opposite edges thereof, one of said edges havin anotch adjacent to said pocket, a locking har having an extension withh'o'ols formed at the ends thereof adapted to be received in saidpockets, said notch affording means for receiving one of said hooks andIattaching said locking bar, said locking bar further having a secondextension, and' a locking ring adapted to engage said nut to prevent therotation thereof, and having means for engaging said' second extension.

5. In a. nut lock, in combination, a'bolt', a nut mounted thereupon, amain plate upon Which said nut seats, said main plate having outwardlyoffset tongues forming pockets, and having a notch adjacent to one ofsaid pockets, and a locking bar having an eXtension extendingtransversely of said main plate and having hooks adapted to be receivedin said pockets to hold said locking bar in position, said locking barhaving a second extension or locking ring adapted to engage said nut ina plurality of positions, and having fingers adapted to engage saidsecond extension, said main plate having an offset bar adapted to engagethe end of said second extension to hold the saine in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 narne to this specification inthe presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

CLAUDE B. STILLWELL.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. Mozo, T. T. WILLIAMS.

